The Fountain

[Administrator]

A great place to hang out and have fun, you can wait here for the distribution center to open, or just relax and cool off on a hot day. Careful, swimming in the fountain could get you nabbed by the bulls!

Prince spent a lot of her free time around here during her span as leader and Styx continues the tradition. If you're looking for the Queens leader after selling time, check the fountain.

[Collin Russiani]

[New day - Prince]


It hadn't taken Collin long to work out his plan, but once he did he had to wait for the perfect day. He'd used his free time in-between to work on the Pub and track down old friends. Some had been easier on him than others, but he'd missed them all something awful. It was good to be home, but he didn't realize how much he'd missed all of it until he was stepping out early in the morning, in a pair of worn pants and a loose fitting white shirt that hung a little open on his chest. They were both a little threadbare, a little dirty, things he would have worn on the corner in Brooklyn, selling papes with outrageous headlines.

But he wasn't in Brooklyn. He was halfway to the Queens distribution center, his new hat pulled low on his head. He'd been tempted to tie his hair back but even though there was enough for a tiny ponytail, it wouldn't have helped hide the shine any. Sometimes his red hair was a curse and he frowned as he checked the sun and moved a bit faster, nicking an apple off a carriage as he passed. It was instinct, not because he was hungry but because it was almost a ritual, and he looked at the bright red fruit for a moment before laughing and pocketing it. Maybe it could be lunch. Or it could be used as a weapon for Prince to throw at his head. Whichever.

He was nearly laughing when he found the newsies huddled together and he joined them, more than a few calling out to him with shocked voices and happy faces. He drew them all together after making sure their leader wasn't there, and told them of his plans, where he was heading, and what he wanted them to do. It didn't take long, and they happily agreed, if only because it was something new, something exciting, and Collin - Red - had been careful not to put any of them out of their selling spots. He was the first to get his papers, a good amount, before zipping around the corner and out of sight. It wouldn't do for Prince to see him before it was time, and he smirked to himself as he settled on a faraway corner to work his magic.

Collin was used to the Brooklyn streets, practically fighting for sales, and it was almost too easy to get the Queens residents hooked. But he didn't stay long at each place, just mirrored Prince's current spot until he was sure he'd taken enough of her business before moving on. He knew her places like the back of his hand, and any that had changed he'd learned of this morning. The newsies were so very helpful in ratting out their leader. At least when this was concerned. He'd even sent Avalanche a message, as he told him he would, just a simple note in his hand that read it's a good day to be in Queens. Not signed. It didn't need to be.

It was imperative he stayed two steps ahead of her, taking just enough each time that it would start to bother her. And when he was sure he'd played it well enough he went to the one place he knew would send her over the edge. He went to her fountain, stood up on the stone, and started selling like it was going out of style, using hooks and ties and shouting out headlines in a voice that was just a bit off from his own. He was down to a handful by the time it struck him how easy it had been to slide back into the old life. And how much he was enjoying it. Now it was up to Prince to see it for herself. See that he hadn't changed at all. That he was still the same man she remembered, and then some. So he stayed, up on that fountain, and took her regulars without much of a problem, his pocket jingling with the money he'd already earned.

[Prince]

Something was up. She knew something was going on, something was going on big time. She was always last to leaving the lodging house, waiting for the last person to leave, which this morning was her own little adopted boy, Jem, as it was common. He was usually the last one out, and so Prince spent a good amount of time with the boy. Once she reached distribution the kids were usually all lined up, getting papers, and starting out, today was absolutely no exception. She found that many of them were greeting her hello that morning however which made her suspicious, but in general the day was normal, the sun was shining, her hair was hiding, and it was cold. A typical January day.

She didn't think something was up until she parted ways with Jem, who usually followed some older boys to help them sell and headed out on her usual route. She started off heading around the corner, and meeting the vendors there, who nearly knew her by name. However something was wrong, how had they already bought their papers? She asked one of them who said, "someone already came through here. We didn't see you, so we just figured we'd buy from them." Of course Prince understood and wasn't upset or anything of the like, she was just confused. The newsies all had different routes they took every day, and hers had been worked out in sync with the rest of them. Who was it that just happened to turn down her street?

She shrugged it off, no mind, it was one corner vendor area, it was not something to stress about. She simply continue down the road shouting headlines and selling a paper here and there as she walked of course, after all New York always moving you buy a paper when you see a kid with 'em, so she did sell one or two, but not what she was used to by the time she reached the end of the street. But from there it only got worse. It appeared as though all her regular customers on her route already had papers in their hands, and they all said the same thing. "Someone came through already." "Didn't see you, picked up a paper early." "Sorry, already got one." What was going on?!

Prince was nearly infuriated at this point and frustrated beyond all means of sensibility. Well, no matter. She would have a word with her newsies tonight. It was probably a new kid, and it would be as simple as finding them a new path to take on their routes around Queens, this was easily remedied. Besides, she was only rounding the blocks until she got to her fountain. It was her favorite place in New York to be. She'd always had a thing for water, and this was her fountain. Anyone who needed her could assume she would show up here at some point, and they'd find her. At this point, after the 100 she bought that morning she had sold maybe 20. Usually by this time she'd sold closer to 50, but with her routes all sold out, she was definitely behind. No matter, she'd do an old Avalanche trick and get the papers out of her hand in no time, and would use the fountain as a central location. That was her plan until she turned the corner.

She had to practically flail to catch her papers as the shock was making her lose them. There, up on her fountain, was a pair of green eyes she never expected to have as selling competition in this city ever again. And yet, there he was proving all she knew completely wrong. A new hat on his head, thread bare clothes on his body, and a paper in his hand as he shouted the headline. It appeared as though this adult was going to play games.

Three things began to run through Prince's mind. One, how could an adult sell so well when everyone knew younger sells more papers? Two, why was he out acting like a child, and why did it make him seem so kidish when he did so. Three, he stole ALL of her usual customers and that, unfortunately was in the forefront of her brain right now.

It was winter. It was cold... but not cold enough to freeze water. And at that moment, Prince could only think of one thing. She held on to her papers tightly as she dashed through the crowed and made her way to Red before she was standing right in front of him, she was on the ground, but he was up on the stone fountain. "So!" she called up to him through the noise of the streets. "Sellin' in Queens anything like Brooklyn? Let me make it feel like home." And with that she knocked the elder off his balance, and back into the water fountain. Sure, she'd take him home and warm him up later. But this was fair payback in her mind. She had no doubt he did it on purpose, so she did the same thing. She left his papers on the ledge, kept her feet on the ground, moved a good foot away from the fountain, and resumed selling as though there wasn't a boy 'swimming' in the water behind her.

[Collin Russiani]

It wasn't too difficult to stay ahead of her on the route, selling papers like he'd been born into it, and perhaps he had, but it was a little hard to keep up with the demand. He was out of practice, and it hit him a little hard when he'd gotten to the fountain. He still had a few of his papers left, but for an adult, he was doing pretty well. Certainly well enough to pull his plan off anyway. He just hoped, as he started off down the street, that the Queens kids had done a good job in keeping it a secret.

Judging by the fact he wasn't getting cut off at the corners, or being chased down, he figured they'd done well and he laughed to himself as he hurried on, shouting out the headline and thanking each and every customer as they tipped their coins into his hand. It was cold, the wind a bit biting as it blew between the buildings, but he'd had worse, and he was actually enjoying himself as well.

It was rather fortunate that her newsies had been so well versed in her route because Collin had needed the reminder. Some things had changed, newsies came and went all the time, and her streets had changed a bit from what he was used to. Not enough to be a problem, but enough that he would have missed a street or two and he was out to make an impression after all. It wouldn't do to get some of her customers and not all of them.

There were a few, of course, that she would get, but mainly he took care of the regulars and spent the rest of his time on her fountain, using it as a selling point. Much like what she was hoping to do. It was a trick they'd both learned from the same source, and it was ll too easy for him to maneuver her into doing exactly what he wanted. She couldn't be too far behind, or she he figured, and he worked on selling off the handful he had left by the time she found him, none too happy it looked like.

"Why hello there, Prince. Fancy meeting you here." Collin had opened his mouth to say more, a grin on his face, when she knocked him right off and he flailed, getting more than a mouthful of the icy water before he jerked back up, soaking wet and blinking owlishly at her back as she kept on selling like she hadn't just dumped him head over heels into the fountain. And for a moment all he could do was stare before he burst out laughing, climbing awkwardly out of the water and onto the ground, leaning against the stone to push his hair out of his face and grab the hat still floating in the water. He checked his pocket to make sure none of his money had been lost, before smirking crookedly in her direction.

"Was that entirely necessary?" He went right up into her personal space, dripping wet and freezing but too amused to care, and dipped his head enough to whisper into her ear. "You're lucky you're a girl and it's cold, mavourneen, or I'd have you in that water already." It would do her some good if he did throw her in, just because, but he resisted the urge and just dried his hands off on her shoulders before grabbing his papers and adding them to the pile in her own hands. "You hold them for both of us, yeah?" And without waiting for her reply he jumped back up on the stone and started echoing her own headline, doing his best not to shiver in the wind. They had papers to sell. Later he'd worry about being cold.

[Prince]

A crowed was a great place to run and hide, and that was her goal as she stepped away from the fountain as he went flying into it. She figured the farther away she got, the less he could do her, and the less he could do about that. She didn't even see him come up out of the water and stare at her. She heard him laugh, but she recognized it as being far enough away that she was at a safe distance. The laugh did make her smile, it meant that he wasn't that angry, which was just fine for her.

"Personally," she said answering his question," I think it was beyond necessary." The tone of her voice was low set, and she sounded just like a boy as she spoke to her elder, complete, with full New York accent. "You knew what you were don', and you knew it wasn't gonna end well. What fun would it have been if I had just let you do as you want?" None at all, would be the correct answer to that question. "Get offa me will ya? Ya gettin' me all wet and cold," she scolded him teasing him more and more. He deserved it.

When he whispered in her ear she wanted to glare at him. She was still cautious after all, and still overly so, but instead she just smiled and laughed playing it off as though he'd told her a joke, and not just called her 'darling' again. "Yeah, well I'd like to see you try ta get me in that water."

"Me too!" Avalanche said as he walked up to the too. "That was absolutely priceless from down the block. Because... okay, picture this," he said setting the scene. You could tell he'd been smiling a very long time, and his face was red and from the cold wind. His eyes were wet from laughing until he cried. "I see Red standin' above the crowed screaming these headlines, right?" he said laughing again. And then as I watch all of a sudden he just... falls!" he laughed so hard he could barely breathe. Prince was quite satisfied with herself.

However, he shocked the both of them as he got up on the ledge again and continued shouting headlines. "Oh Jesus..." she said rolling her eyes. "The man's delusional. Will ya take him home?" Prince asked Avalanche. "Get him to a fire, get a blanket on him, and get him outta those wet clothes?" she insisted.

Avalanche could hear her, but was still chuckling at the mental image of Red flying backwards. It just wouldn't leave his mind and the fact that Red was soaked head to foot, and hadn't done a thing to dry himself off, save for his hands tickled him all the more. "Sure," he finally choked out between laughing and trying to breathe. He knew Prince would handle the rest of the papers, and would be along to the Lodging House soon enough. So, Avalanche moved over to the fountain. "Leaders orders," he called up to him. "I've been told to get you outta here, and take you home." Which meant back to the Queens lodging house of course. They wouldn't take him all the way back to Brooklyn now, not like that, not while he was soaked the way he was. "C'mon down before you catch your death of some sickness," like pneumonia, or worse, he thought.

[Collin Russiani]

Honestly, out of anything she could have done, he might have expected that the least. Which was why he'd fallen the way he had. He had lived in Brooklyn after all, and had been pushed off the docks more times than he could ever hope to count. He knew how to fall into the water and yet this time he'd flailed, could have hurt himself if he'd been any closer to the edge. But when he came up he couldn't help but laugh because really? That was more like the old Prince he remembered, and that's what he'd hoping for. Getting soaked and being cold was a little price to pay in comparison.

"Yeah." He grinned at her, crooked and wet. "I knew what I was doin' and I'd do it again." He let his accent out to mirror hers without even thinking about, laughing at the teasing and swiped his hands across her shoulders one more time to dry them off completely. "But do you know what I was doin?" He smirked, that infuriating little twist of his lips, even as feigned grabbing her around the waist. He might have hauled her up just as a tease but Avalanche was there and he pulled back with a sheepish grin. He'd hoped the other had missed that graceful display, but one look at the other's face told the tale too well. Of course.

"Keep laughin', keep laughin', I'll show you both." It was like a role he was playing, the entire world his stage, and he grinned down at Avalanche when he got close enough. "Soah, Snowball. I'll get down." He jumped down with one last shouted headline, only to see if he could get her to roll her eyes at him. And when he leaned in, dripping wet, to beam up at Avalanche, there was something sort of like triumph in his eyes. "Didn't I tell you it was a good day to be in Queens?" And of course they'd take him back to Queens. One, it was closer and Prince would never have allowed him to walk all the way back to Brooklyn dripping wet. And, of course, she was going to yell at him, demand to know what was going on.

But he wouldn't tell her until they were back in the lodging house, or maybe not even then. Who knows? "Come on. I'm cold." He laughed, passing her by and slipping all the change into her pocket with a quick flash of his hand. "See you soon, Prince."

[Prince]

Of course he knew what he was doing. He always knew what he was doing, it was everyone else who had to look at him as though he was from Mars until he explained himself. Prince, however, had gotten accustomed to this long ago, and whenever Red did something ridiculous it was the same old eye roll. She was practically famous for it around the old Brooklyn leader. To be fair... he typically deserved it. So no, Prince didn't know what he was up to, but she'd ask him later, in the mean time... she simply rolled her eyes.

"Yeah kid," Avalanche said chuckling as he watched red to make sure he didn't slip when he jumped off the fountain due to the water, or the ice. "Yeah I guess, one of the best starts to my day I've had in a long time," he observed with a small smirk. "I can't imagine why you'd be cold" he smirked. He started back towards the lodging house with, he thought Red right behind him.

As Red bid Prince goodbye she looked at him and all of a sudden noticed her coat pocket becoming quite a bit heavier. She took a hand off of her papers and felt inside. Well then, that would explain it... there was easily twice as much in her pocket as their had been before Red left, the graceful jerk that he was.

"RED!" Avalanche called... quietly for him, "let's go!" Prince couldn't help but stare after them as they walked away. She blinked a little and wondered what the heck he was playing at? What was he trying to do? Eventually she had to come back to reality, remember she not only had her own papers to sell... but a few from Red as well, all of five, maybe. But still. She had better get to work and get home before he left so she could speak with him. She wanted to know what was going on, and was sure her kids had helped her, which was mildly annoying. She got back to work after that and tried focus on the headlines and the papers, which was a bit more difficult than usual.

[Collin Russiani]

Unfortunately that was quite true. Collin had a unique way of doing things sometimes, and he didn't always fill in those around him, leaving them to figure things out as it progressed. It was a bad habit, but sometimes he forgot they weren't all on the same page, or cut from the same cloth as it were. There were only a few out there that knew exactly what he was doing without being told on a daily basis. The eye roll. Oh how he'd missed it. He'd missed a lot of things, but the way she'd used to treat him was high on the list. To see that eye roll brought back, it was a bit like finally coming home. Oh no doubt she'd ask him later, and it would be fairly amusing to see her face when he explained.

"To be fair, I didn't expect her to push me." Collin - though the way he was acting he should very well be called Red - grinned, shrugging his wet shoulders in a way that practically dripped what can you do? even as he started off with him, though he stopped to transfer the coins from his pocket into hers. And he was definitely expecting her to rush home after selling off the rest of the papers. It was one of the reasons why he wasn't going to head back to Brooklyn after getting warm and finding a change of clothes. The kids had helped him, and he was glad for it. He could have managed on his own, no problem, but it was easier with a little help and he had to admit they'd done well in keeping his secret. But of course, why wouldn't they? It was harmless, and he was pretty sure he saw a few little ones scampering away laughing when they turned the corner off towards the lodging house. They'd better be quick, it wouldn't do for their leader to see them.

(Off to the LH? ;D )

[ghost1211]

( tag prince )

Anya shoved hand through her hair and looked around. She had been by this place a couple of times but had never actually stayed around long enough to enjoy it. She walked over to the fountain and stuck her hand in the water and sighed. She had been here exactly 6 months and still couldn't find the courage to actually grab a few papers and make some money. She set down on the edge of the fountain and looked over at the distribution center. Currently it was quite which meant that everyone was either already out or hadn't arrived yet.

She looked down at her feet and sighed. She had to get over this shy thing. It was keeping her from actually making money and making new friends. She was getting awful tired of sleeping on the street every night.

She looked up when she saw a boy walking toward the fountain. She was about to get up and leave but she stayed where she was. She needed to get over this

[Prince]

Prince wasn't just walking, she was walking backwards. She was being followed by a smaller boy, named Jem, who stood a little above her waist in height and was trying to get a handle on his papers. "C'mon kiddo," she said with a smile on her face. "Betcha can't catch me!"

"Betcha I can!" he said with a wide smile, but the papers were still a mess in his hands before he could try and run after his leader. Jem was always loyal to Prince, they were a step above leader and kid, they had a little deeper relationship.

Prince chuckled as she dashed towards her fountain and as she turned around to run Jem followed after her. She could hear him laughing so she laughed along with him. "Fountain is safe!" she called over her shoulder to him. She was running slow for her though, allowing the boy to stay just behind her, but not close enough to get caught. Prince beat the small blonde boy to the fountain and sat down a few feet away from Ghost. "Safe!"

"No fair!" he said pouting a little. He looked down at the ground still holding a few papers, while the leader was holding none herself. Prince, however, was disguised as a boy. She always was out in broad daylight. She didn't dare take off her hat, she didn't dare let anyone else do it either. It was a flawless disguise with lots of years of work into it. No one was going to be seeing through it any time soon.

Prince smiled softly at the young boy and she grabbed him around the waist and pulled him towards her before tickling him for a moment. "Fair is fair kiddo, I beatcha fair and square. Now, you go finish sellin' those papes, kay?" it wouldn't take the youth more than a few minutes, "then we'll go out and play at the park."

"Okay! Jem was thrilled as he ran away looking for people to buy his last few papers. Prince on the other hand had noticed the young girl sitting on the fountain. She appeared shy and didn't seem as though she had a home. Prince hadn't ever been one for allowing people to go starving, homeless, or worse. But she had seen the girl around in the past six months.

She slid down the rim of the fountain until she was up next to the girl. "Uh... hey," she said quietly leaning down trying to catch the girls eye. "You uh... hungry?" Prince said trying to find a good way to start this conversation. Plus, there was a fruit cart near by, she could buy the girl an orange or something maybe.

[ghost1211]

Anya had been watching the two and sighed. It reminded her of how her and her sister had been before things had gotten bad. A part of her wanted to get up and join them and revert back to the old days but she stayed put. She smirked a little when the taller of the two had made it to the fountain. She looked back down at her feet when the littlest walked away to sell the rest of his papers.

She was about to get up and head back to the alley she called home when she saw a shadow next to her. She jumped when the boy next to her started talking and forced herself to look up at him. She heard him ask her if she was hungry and shook her head

" No "

She sighed at her one word sentence and tried again " No I snagged an apple from one of the vendors over on the next street ". She hated stealing but the pockets of her latest victims had been pretty sparse.

She looked back down at her feet for a minute giving herself a chance to calm down. A few seconds later she set up straighter and pushed her hair out of her face and looked at Prince

" But ya could tell me where there is a place to sleep around here that isn't going to steal all my money ". Her back as really starting to hurt from sleeping on uneven coble ( Sp )

[Prince]

As the young girl mentioned she'd stolen an apple from the cart it made her smile and even chuckle a little. Probably embarrassed the poor thing. "Sorry," she said with a smirk. She didn't usually hear kids saying that they were eating off of food they'd stolen. So it kinda made her smile. Not to mention, lately she'd picked up a certain love for stealing inconsequential things herself, thanks to Collin from Brooklyn.

She got her laughter under control and listened to the girl as she finished talking. A cheap place to stay huh? Yeah... Prince knew of a place or four. "Yeah," she nodded a little. She put her elbows on her knees and slouched forward. "yeah I think I might know of a place where youse can stay for a while. I mean there's beds and stuff, and it does cost a little money to stay there. But they won't rob ya blind, and I hear the people are real nice too. You know what a newsie is girly?" she asked. She didn't know how long the girl had been here, or anything, but based on how little she spoke, and the accent Prince thought she was picking up on... she guessed not that long and she still hadn't found a safe place to be yet. Not all that surprising really. She sympathized completely.

[ghost1211]

Anya listened to her and nodded when she asked if she knew what a newsie was.

" I guess I know what they are. " She knew they sold papers but that was about it. She also knew they lied to get the papers sold and she wasn't a very good liar . She thought about it for a minute and sighed " This place you are talking about? Do you have to be a newsie to stay there? " A few coins out of her pocket where fine but most of the places she had looked where asking for rent that she would never have. "

She turned so that she was looking at the kid. She liked him. He had a way about him that made it hard to ignore him. She looked at the distribution center again and sighed " Do you gotta talk a lot to be able to sell anything? " Picking pockets was staring to get old. She had come to this country on the basis of living a better life and so far it was worse than Russia.

[Prince]

This girl was cute, and Prince couldn't help but smile at her. Prince figured if nothing else this girl could sell on her looks. "Naw, ya dun gotta talk much, ya just gotta talk a little and shout a few headlines. a lot of it is based off of if ya can play sick, or ya got a pretty face, which ya do," she said as she leaned forward a little bit. Prince wasn't flirting, though it might come off that way. She may be a boy, and it might look like she's flirting in public, but really she's just paying a part, and teasing.

"As for bein' a newsie?" She thought about it. She guessed there was not really a rule that was put up anywhere that it was against the law. "Ya dun hafta be a newsie," she said with a shrug. "There's the Steinway factory down the street where they make pianos... I guess you could work there an then stay at the lodgin' house at night..." she thought about it for a second as she itched her head through her hat (and her hair). "I jus know most of the kids who stay there are newsies. But... i guess it ain't required," she said chuckling a little. "But if ya scared about sellin' there are all sorts of people who'd help ya out," she was sure of that. People were constantly getting selling partners, or learning the ropes from older newsies. "I could teach ya... if ya wanna learn," she offered. Prince was old hat at teaching new kids to sell. It was a piece of cake to her.

[ghost1211]

Anya didn't take it as flirting. She had never really been flirted with so it wasn't like she would notice if someone was. She thought about what prince said an shook her head at the Piano suggestion

" I think I would rather take my chances selling a bunch of papers then getting my hand cut off at some factory " she laughed for the first time in forever and stuck her hand out " I guess I should tell ya its nice to meet you. " She was surprised at how comfortable she was with Prince.

She wasn't really that shy most of the time. She was fine with people she knew but it was getting to know them part that scared her. She was always afraid people were going to look down on her because of where she had come from or how she talked.

She thought about the boarding house suggestion and licked her lips " So how do I go about finding a bed at the boarding house? " She had to get off the street. She pushed herself off the edge of the fountain and stood up looking down at Prince " I really appreciate you telling me about this stuff. Maybe I can start making some money and it wont be so bad living here ".